How Aldevere research mentorship works
Five stages from first contact to final project. Clear expectations at every step.
Apply
Families complete a short enquiry form so we can understand the student's goals, academic interests, current curriculum, and university timeline. There is no commitment at this stage.
What we ask about: field of interest, year group, curriculum (IB / A-Level / other), target universities, previous academic writing experience.
Interview
We meet the student for an interview of under 25 minutes, and parents are welcome to join. We assess the student's readiness and academic interests, recommend the most suitable programme, and explain exactly what to expect. The decision on acceptance follows this interview; the recommendation is based on fit, readiness, and timeline.
Who attends: the student, and parents are welcome to join. Format: video call. Duration: under 25 minutes.
Mentor Matching
Students are matched to a mentor whose work fits their question. Research Scholar mentors are doctoral or postdoctoral researchers; Field Seminars and Academic Essentials are led by researchers or reviewed specialists suited to those formats. If no one in our network fits, we recruit someone who does.
Matching criteria: field overlap, communication style, student's specific research direction, year group compatibility.
The Programme
The programme is written for the student before the first session. Students meet their mentor in sessions of about 60 minutes, with reading and writing tasks in between. An academic adviser, separate from the mentor, looks after their progress and wellbeing, and parents receive the schedule before the first session and updates at set points. Research Scholar runs eight weeks or longer, and a longer programme spaces the sessions out, leaving more time between them for reading and written work.
Session frequency: set in the written schedule. A longer Research Scholar programme spaces the sessions out; Field Seminars usually meet once or twice a week. Session length: about 60 minutes. Independent work: guided reading and writing tasks between sessions. If the match is not working, we change the mentor.
Final Work and Report
The programme ends with a piece of work the student has written: a research paper, essay or project, depending on the programme. The mentor gives written feedback on the final draft, and the programme closes with a written report on the student's work and a recommendation for what comes next.
Typical outputs: a Research Scholar paper of 3,000 to 5,000 words depending on field; a Field Seminar essay or project. All student-authored. Certificates say Completion only when every session was attended and the final work submitted.
When should students start?
Early preparation
Year 10-11
Explore
Ideal time to begin with Field Seminars or Academic Essentials. Builds academic habits and field knowledge before the pressure of Year 12 applications.
Prime window
Year 12
Build
The core window for the Research Scholar. Enough time for a full project before UCAS applications begin, including a longer programme with the sessions spaced out. Most students do best starting in September to January of Year 12.
Still possible
Year 13
Targeted
Still valuable for students with an upcoming Common App cycle, deferred applications, or who want to develop their field knowledge before university begins. An eight-week programme suits a tighter timeline.
Matched by field, not by availability
Aldevere mentors are active researchers, PhD candidates, postdoctoral scholars, and reviewed subject specialists, selected for academic strength, communication ability, and suitability for working with high school students.
A student interested in behavioural economics will be working with someone who researches it, not a generalist tutor. That specificity is what makes the mentorship substantive. Only a specialist in the student's field can ask the questions that make them think harder.
Mentor matching happens after the interview, once we understand the student's research direction. If the match feels wrong after the introductory session, we find a better fit before the programme begins.
PhD Candidates
Active researchers pursuing doctoral work in specialist fields
Postdoctoral Researchers
Early-career academics with completed and published doctoral research
Subject Specialists
Domain experts with deep field knowledge and teaching experience
The first step is a conversation
Apply to start the interview process. No commitment required at this stage.
Apply to AldevereJoin the mentor network
PhD candidates and reviewed subject specialists can apply to mentor university-bound students in their field.
Apply to be a mentor